Summer Shape Up 2013: Intro post
Welcome to Summer Shape Up 2013! I’m so excited that you’re joining in the party -there are at least 3500 of you!- and that you’re committed to making some healthy changes during this season. Thank you so much for letting me be your cheerleader along the way. Now let me find those pink sparkly pom-pons…. 😉
For the next four weeks, here’s what you can expect on this page:
This post will serve as “the hub” for EVERYTHING SSU 2013 related. Bookmark it, pin it, make it your homepage, do whatever you need to do to make all of the info accessible to you <3 For even more fun, spread the word with friends and make it a group challenge!
For the next four weeks, I’ll update this page with weekly fitness plans and meal ideas. Please keep in mind that these are general recommendations, based on healthy (injury-free), gym-going girls, experienced with basic strength training form and a baseline cardio program. Nothing I post should substitute doctors’ recommendations, and always check with a doc before making any fitness or nutrition changes. If something doesn’t feel right, DON’T do it! You know your body best.
Summer Shape Up is NOT about weight loss. It’s about decreasing body fat (adding lean muscle), feeling more energized and changing up your current routine. Even though the scale could go up during the next four weeks, you could technically “shrink” and weigh more. Muscle is more dense than fat. If anything, focus on how you FEEL! I hope that my ideas will help you find some new strength moves you love (or love to hate?) and develop the best fitness program for you.
What you’ll need:
-A huge water bottle (fill with H20 and keep with you at all times)
-A notebook (to track your water intake, workouts and meals for each day. If you have an online method you prefer, you can use that instead. I love the My Fitness Pal app)
-Access to cardio of choice whether it’s through classes, running outdoors, or an at-home cardio machine
-Set of dumbbells
-Stability ball
-Jump rope
-Sturdy chair or bench
If you’re able to get your body fat checked at the beginning of the challenge, I highly recommend it. Many gyms offer body fat calculations at a low cost, or if you have a trainer friend, ask them to pinch you with some calipers. If you’re military, many bases offer bod pod body fat testing for FREE- check it out!
If you’re not able to test your body fat, take some basic measurements and jot them down in your Summer Shape Up notebook:
-Calves (max circumference)
-Thighs (10 inches above the patella)
-Hips (keep feet together and measure the widest part across the middle of your booty)
-Stomach (the widest part of your stomach)
-Waist (the narrowest part of your waist)
-Chest
-Biceps
And snap a few pictures facing forwards, sideways, and to the back, wearing a swimsuit or sports bra and tight-fitting shorts. This way, you’ll have a clear method to track your progress over the four weeks. Check your measurements again halfway through the challenge and again at the end.
Prep for SUCCESS!
Before each week begins, take a second to jot down your goals for the week. Grocery shop for staple foods, making sure to emphasize clean, whole choices.
Here are some staples I always have on hand:
Bread and grains (whole-grain, brown rice tortillas, quinoa, brown rice)
Eggs (2 dozen)
Salad supplies (greens, fresh fruit and veggies, nuts, balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs, protein)
Protein (chicken, fish and tempeh)
Fruits (berries and bananas are my fave!)
Nuts, nut butter and seeds (we always have almonds and chia seeds on hand)
Milk (whatever milk you love. We enjoy almond milk)
Green veggies
Frozen berries and veggies (for smoothies or quick stir fries)
Healthy treats/ snacks (I love TJ’s hummus, edamame crackers and dark chocolate bars)
Remember to “EAT LIKE A PRO” throughout the challenge, making sure that each meal/snack has a protein and produce component.
Prep as many clean eats as you can in advance and put your workout calendar in an easily visible spot. This way you’ll be more likely to stick to your goals.
Here are the links for all of your workouts and meal ideas for the next four weeks:
(all password protected. The password is in your newsletter and will change for each week. After the challenge, I’ll remove the passwords)
Cardio guidelines:
HIIT (20 min): Alternate easy periods of cardio with extremely hard cardio intervals. For workout 1 HIIT, try to do 45 seconds easy, 45 seconds HARD for the 20 minutes
Steady state: Pick a steady pace that’s challenge but one you can maintain for the entire duration. You can also take a spin class or another cardio class instead
Hill challenge: Pick a steady pace and aim to maintain your pace as you increase the resistance every 30 seconds. When you hit you max, hold it for 1 minute, lower incline back down to 4.0% and start again until the 20 minutes have passed. Avoid holding onto the hand rails (you’ll burn 30% LESS calories), and if you need to slightly decrease your speed to allow the higher incline, that’s ok
Steady state tempo blast: For the last 5 minutes of your steady state workout, increase your speed. Make it HARD and keep it for the last 5 minutes. You can do it!
HIIT (25 min): Do 1 minute easy, 1 minute hard for the 25 minutes
Steady state: Pick a steady pace that’s challenge but one you can maintain for the entire duration. You can also take a spin class or another cardio class instead
HIIT and steady: Warm up for 5 minutes and then start your HIIT training (20 minutes), alternating between 30 seconds HARD and 30 seconds easy. Follow your HIIT with super easy (50% max heart rate) steady state.
HIIT (20 min): 30 seconds easy, 30 seconds hard for 20 minutes.
Cardio wild card: Take your favorite cardio class or do a fun DVD. Your choice!
Speed surge: go for 20 minutes starting at a moderate pace. Every 5 minutes, increase your speed. You should be sprinting to the finish line!
Scenic steady state: Take it outside for 30-45 min
Leg burner: Try this barre burner!
HIIT: HARD for 45 seconds, easy for 45 seconds, repeating for 25 minutes
HIIT Challenge: Try to do 1 minute easy, 1 minute hard for the entire 30 minutes.
Flexibility: Yoga or a lovely stretch sesh
Speedy hills: Start with a steady pace and incline at 2.5 %. For 30 second rounds, increase your speed and incline to run up the hill. Recover for 1 minute before repeating.
Last, but not least, make sure to check in each day with your workouts and clean eats! I want to be drowning in #summershapeup tweets, Instagram pics and comments, mmm k?? Each morning, I’ll put the call out in the am blog post for you to leave a comment with your workout. Be sure to check in often, because you never know when I’ll have a random giveaway 😉
Speaking of giveaways, we have lots of those to come, too!
Thank you again for participating this year! Let’s make it the BEST one yet 🙂
xoxo
Gina
Are you joining in the fun?! Set yourself up for success by planning and prepping today. Tweet me a pic of your grocery haul or leave a comment with this week’s meal plan. I’d love to hear what you’re cooking this week!
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I’m a former Army brat, now living the civilian life haha, and love reading your blog as it reminds me of the military lifestyle at times plus you’re inspiring health-wise. Anyways, I’d like to be a part of the summer shape up!
I want to join the challenge, but this month we are traveling. I would only be able to get the workout in when we are stopped for the night.
Sign me up please!!!
Can’t wait to try it! I forgot to click the box in my last comment. Oops!
I’d love to sign up too!!
This week’s dinners I’m thinking tilapia on salad, salmon with asparagus, grilled chicken and onions with sauteed kale, chicken sausage with brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, turkey and avocado open faced sandwiches. Also want to try making my own veggie burgers this week (we’ll see how they turn out, haha!) Yum!
I’m interested in signing up!
Would like to signup :)!
Sooo pumped that it’s not too late to sign up!!
This week’s meal plan:
Breakfast and/or lunch-the crustless veggie quiche recipe (I added in the veggies I had), steel cut oatmeal, green smoothies, chocolate cherry bomb smoothie
Lunches-will be leftovers
Dinners- dijon chicken, asian inspired grass fed meatballs with shirataki noodles (never tried the noodles before, want to expand my horizons), grilled shrimp, salmon, tilapia and lots and lots of various grilled veggies including zucchini, asparagus, kale, spinach, broccoli and salads
Snackage-fresh fruit (peaches, berries I picked up from the farmer’s market), greek yogurt, sweet potato brownies, baby carrots and hummus, apple and almond butter, banana and almond butter, raw almonds with string cheese.
Drinks-LOTS of water and my morning coffee
Exercise: Boot Camp 3x a week (MWF), Cardio or HIIT-T, Intervals-Th. Weekend will consist of a long run and yoga
Meal plan: green smoothies OR overnight oats for breakfasts, brown rice noodles with veggies and peanut sauce OR massaged kale salad with lentils for lunches, and tofu with steamed veggies and almond butter sauce OR nori rolls with hummus, tempeh and avocado for dinners. Fresh fruit and nuts for snacks and a variety of dark chocolate for when my sweet tooth strikes. And red wine in moderation on weekends ONLY! Really excited about this challenge. 🙂
Thanks for the advice. It’s nice to recommend which type of foods to have on hand. Thanks for being authentic!
Please sign me up!
Can’t wait to get started!!
can i sign up!?
i’d love to join ssu as well!
I would love to join too!! 🙂
Is it too late to sign up? This sounds great! 🙂
Is it too late to sign up? I would love to join SSU!
I am 4 months out from my wedding and would LOVE to join in! Love the blog, been following for years!
Is it too late to sign up? I would LOVE to sign up!
Yay SSU!
Sign me up, can’t wait to get started in the morning 🙂
yay signing up now!!! Better late than never 🙂
soo excited!!
I want to do the summer shape up. Looking forward to getting started.
Cant wait!!!
Sign me up…
Just finished my grocery shopping for the week. NO EXCUSES!
I have to switch the schedule up due to being out of town this coming weekend. Soooo I did 45 mins of steady cardio tonight!! This SSU looks amazinggggggg
Can’t wait for some fun workouts ahead! Thanks for the food reminder! I made protein ballz today and picked up some good eats at Trader Joe’s this evening to have things on hand this week for some healthy, but delicious meals.
Tonight was local burgers bbq’d put on a piece of bread with spinach, slices of green bell pepper and onion. Yum! Black bean and mushroom tacos are also in our future this week.
Just got done prepping for the week, veggies and fruit chopped, breakfast and lunches made, excited for day 1!
I signed up last week but no newsletter yet? Is there another way to get it? Thanks so mic! Really looking forward to following the plan
Please sign me up!
Tried to sign up a few times but haven’t received an email with the password. Suggestions?
Sign me up too!
I think I didn’t sign up rigth the first time, but I definitely want to be a part!!
Sign me up 🙂
Just found this and would love to join!
Sign me up please! Today was grocery shopping, fresh picked strawberries and local produce stands for this girl!
Everything is ready to go. I will be doing SSU Workout 1 tomorrow, and workout #3 of the Zuzka cardio series instead of HIIT on the treadmill. Yayyy! 😀
that’s a killer combo! let me know how it goes 🙂
Spaghetti with meat sauce & a side salad are on the menu as are butter chicken with chickpeas, rice & naan.
that indian meal sounds amazing right now
Yay! I’m excited for the start of the Summer Shape-up! It’s perfect timing for me because I am trying to get in shape post-baby, and we’re buying a house, so I’ll have a place to cook. Thank you!
Hi! Does anyone know what workout 1 means? Is there something I’m missing?
Nevermind, found it, sorry about that.
Sign me up please! Thank you!
I’d love to join the challenge! Getting wedding ready this summer and need all the help and motivation I can to get into shape!
I’d love to join!
Hi – I am excited to sign up for this summer shape up – thank you!
Giving it a shot! Going to learn!!